Eddie Haskell Has Died

[Lucky]

Actor Ken Osmond, who played Eddie Haskell on Leave It To Beaver, died today in Los Angeles at the age of 76.  The NY Daily News reports: "Osmond’s character on the iconic 1950s sitcom was famous for falsely flattering adults in one scene and then scheming behind their backs in the next. He was so memorable in the role, he found it difficult to get other acting work when the beloved show that ran from 1957 to 1963 on CBS and NBC finally ended."

Variety reports:

Osmond portrayed Haskell as sycophantic to grownups while making fun of them behind their backs. He was a high school friend of Wally Cleaver, older brother of Theodore “the Beaver” Cleaver, and constantly trying to entice his friends into activities that would get them into trouble.  During the final years of the show, Osmond was in the U.S. Army Reserve.

When the series ended, Osmond continued working as an actor, appearing on “Petticoat Junction,” “The Munsters” and a return appearance on “Lassie.” He appeared in feature films “C’mon, Let’s Live a Little” and “With Six You Get Eggroll,” but found himself typecast as Eddie Haskell.

Osmond joined the Los Angeles Police Department in 1970 and grew a mustache to be less recognizable. In 1980, Osmond was shot in a chase with a suspected car thief, though he was saved by his bulletproof vest. He was put on disability and retired from the force in 1988.

I was a faithful fan of Leave It To Beaver and had a serious crush on Tony Dow, shown below with The Beaver: